U.S. TROOP TRANSPORTS WHICH UNDER
IRO (INTERNATIONAL REFUGEE ORGANISATION)
AUSPICES BROUGHT DISPLACED PERSONS FROM
EUROPE TO AUSTRALIA, 1947 - 1950
In 1947, the IRO faced an acute shortage of shipping
for
moving displaced persons in Europe for resettlement
in
the United States, Canada and Australia. The
Truman
Administration responded by offering the services
of U.S. troop transports.
The fourteen U.S. transport listed below carried
displaced
persons to Australia. All were of a type known
as C4
transports. Thirty of this type were built
from 1943-1945
by the Kaiser Corporation at Richmond,
California. These
ships were of 9.950 displacement tons, 522ft
10inches
length overall, were propelled by a single screw
steam
turbine, had a speed of 16.5-18 Knots, a range of
15,000
miles, and could accommodate 3,000 to 5,000 troops.
All were transferred to the U.S. Army Transportation
Service in 1946 and refitted for peacetime duties.
In 1950,
they returned to the U.S. Navy with the
establishment of
the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS).
http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/22/22135.htm
General William M Black –
AP135 (USN Feb 1944)
1946 (Feb) transferred to US Army
(12,551 grt at
handover)
1948 – 1950 made four voyages from
Europe to Australia for the IRO with
displaced persons:
Bremerhaven-Melbourne Mar/Apr 1948
– 806 passengers
Naples-Melbourne May/Jun 1949
– 826 passengers
Naples-Sydney Nov/Dec 1949
- 1302 passengers
Naples-Melbourne Mar/Apr 1950
1950 (Mar) returned to US Navy in
MSTS (T-AP-135)
1951-1953 Korean War service
1955 transferred to the Maritime
Administration for lay up in the
National Reserve Fleet
1967 sold and rebuilt as cargo vessel
r/n Green Forest
1980 scrapped
http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/22/22134.htm
General Robert L Howze –
AP 134 (USN Feb 1944)
1946 (April) transferred to US Army
(12,544 grt at handover)
1949-1950 made two voyages from Europe
to Australia for the IRO with displaced
persons:
Naples-Melbourne Nov/Dec
1949
– 1105 passengers
Naples-Melbourne Mar/Apr
1950
– 1316 passengers
1950 returned to US Navy in
MSTS (T-AP-134)
1951-1953 Korean War service
1958 transferred to the Maritime
Administration for lay up in
the
National Reserve Fleet
1968 sold and rebuilt as container vessel
1969 in service as Guam Bear (11444grt)
1975 r/n New Zealand Bear
1976 new owners r/n Austral Glen
1979 sold again r/n Pacific Endeavour
1981 scrapped
Postcard in
author's collection
General Harry Taylor -
AP145 (USN May 1944)
1946 transferred to US Army
(12,544 grt at handover)
1949-1950 made two voyages from Europe
to Australiafor the IRO with displaced
persons:
Naples-Sydney Jun/Jul 1949
– 864 passengers
Naples-Sydney Jan/Feb 1950
– 1265 passengers
1950 returned to US Navy in
MSTS (T-AP-145)
1957 (May/June) made a voyage from
Marseilles to Sydney with emigrants under
the auspices of ICEM (Inter-Governmental
Committee on European Migration)
1958 transferred to the Maritime
Administration
for lay up in the National Reserve Fleet
1962-63 rebuilt as satellite tracking ship
1963 commissioned by US Air Force
r/n General Hoyt S Vandenberg
1964 transferred to US Navy (T-AGM 10)
1993 (April) struck from the Naval Register
1999 transferred to the Maritme
Administration and laid up
2007 sunk off the Florida Keys to form an
artificial reef.
http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/22/22148.htm
General Mark L Hersey –
AP148 (USN Jul 1944)
1946 (Jun) transferred to US Army
(12,326 grt at handover)
1949-1950 made three voyages from Europe to
Australia for the IRO with displaced persons:
Naples-Melbourne Nov/Dec 1949
– 1319 passengers
Naples-Melbourne Mar/Apr 1950
– 1336 passengers
Bremerhaven-Fremantle Oct/Nov 1950
– 1370 passengers
1950 returned to US Navy in
MSTS (T-AP-148)
1951 (Nov) collided in the mouth of the
Elbe with an Argentine passenger ship
which sank
1953 Korean War service
1954 placed out of service
1959 transferred to the Maritime
Administration for lay up in
the
National Reserve Fleet
1968 sold and rebuilt as container vessel
r/n St. Louis (11,522 grt)
1970 lengthened (18,362 grt)
Postcard in author's collection
General Samuel D Sturgis –
AP137 (USN Jul 1944)
1946 (May) transferred to US Army
(12,349 grt at handover)
1948-1950 made three voyages from Europe to
Australia for the IRO with displaced persons:
Venice-Sydney Apr/May 1948
- 860 passengers
Naples-Sydney Apr/May 1949
– 843 passengers
Naples-Sydney Mar/Apr 1950
– 1309 passengers
1950 returned to US Navy in
MSTS (T-AP-137)
1952-1953 Korean War service
1958 transferred to Maritime Administration
for lay up in the National Reserve Fleet
1967 sold and rebuilt as cargo vessel
r/n Green Port
1980 scrapped
Old Ship
Picture Galleries
General WC Langfitt –
AP151 (USN Sep 1944)
1946 (Jun) transferred to US Army
(12.544 grt at
handover)
1949-1950 made two voyages from Europe
and one from East Africa to Australia for
the IRO with Polish displaced persons:
Naples-Melbourne Aug/Sep 1949
– 826 passengers
Naples-Melbourne Dec1949/Jan1950
– 1232 passengers
Mombasa –Fremantle Feb 1950
– 1118 passengers
1950 returned to the US Navy in
MSTS (T-AP-151)
1951-1952 Korean War service
1957 made one voyage from Genoa to
Melbourne and Sydney with emigrants
under the auspices of ICEM
1958 transferred to the Maritme
Administration for lay up in the
National Reserve Fleet
1968 sold and converted to a
container carrier
Not a good picture.
http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/22/22152
General Omar Bundy –
AP152 (USN Jan 1945)
1946 (Jun) transferred to US Army
1949 made two voyages from Europe
to Australia for the IRO with displaced
persons:
Naples-Sydney Feb/Mar 1949
– 842 passengers
Naples-Sydney Jun/Jul 1949
– 826 passengers
1949 (Dec) transferred to the
Maritime Administration for lay up
in the National Reserve Fleet
1964 sold and converted to a general
cargo vessel r/n Portmar
1976 sold r/n Port
1979 sold r/n Poet
1980 missing, presumed sunk
At Bremerhaven ca. 1952.
http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/22/22153.htm
General RM Blatchford –
AP153 (USN Jan 1945)
1946 (Jun) transferred to US Army
(13,100 grt at handover)
1949-1950 made two voyages from Europe
to Australia for the IRO with displaced
persons:
Naples-Sydney Oct/Nov 1949
- 1219 passengers
Naples-Sydney Jan/Feb 1950
– 1222 passengers
1950 returned to the US Navy in
MSTS (T-AP-153)
1953 Korean War service
1965 (Oct) landed elements of US
Army
1st Infantry Division at Vungtau, Vietnam
1968 transferred to the Maritme
Administration for lay up with the
National Reserve Fleet
1969 sold converted to a container ship
r/n Stonewall Jackson
1973 r/n Alex Stephens
1979 acquired by U.S. Dept. of
Commerce
1980 scrapped
Departing Bremerhaven, early-1950s
http://www.navsource.org/archives/ 09/22/22140
General MB Stewart –
AP140 (com. Mar 1945)
1946 (May) transferred to US Army
(12,521 grt at handover)
1948-1950 made five voyages from Europe
to Australia for the IRO with displaced
persons
Bremerhaven-Fremantle Jan/Feb 1948
- 856 passengers
Naples-Melbourne Mar/Apr 1949
– 816 passengers
Naples-Adelaide Jun/Jul 1949
– 816 passengers
Naples-Melbourne Jan 1950
– 1262 passengers
Naples –Sydney Mar/Apr 1950
– 1300 passengers
1950 returned to US Navy in
MSTS (T-AP-140)
1958 transferred to the Maritime
Administration for lay up with
the
National Reserve Fleet
1967 sold and rebuilt as cargo ship
r/n Albany
1974 converted to a drilling
barge
r/n Mission Viking
1987 scrapped
Underway ca.
early-1950s. http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/22/22141
General AW Greely –
AP141 (USN Mar 1945)
1946 (Mar) transferred to US Army
(12.665 grt at handover)
1949-1950 made two voyages from
Europe and one from Samar (Philippines)
to Australia for the IRO with displaced
persons:
Naples-Newcastle Sep/Oct 1949
– 1281 passengers
Samar-Sydney Oct/Nov 1949
– 576 passengers
Naples-Melbourne Apr/May
1950
– 1271 passengers
1950 returned to US Navy in
MSTS (T-AP-142)
1959 transferred to the Maritime
Administration for lay up in the
National Reserve Fleet
1968 sold and converted to a
container ship r/n Hawaii Bear
1976 sold r/n Austral
Glade
1979 sold r/n Pacific Enterprise
1981 sold r/n Caribe Enterprise
1986 scrapped
Postcard
author's collection
General CH Muir –
AP142 (US Navy Apr 1945)
1946 (Jun) transferred to US Army
(13.000 grt at handover)
1950 made two voyages from Europe to
Australia for the IRO with displaced persons;
Naples-Sydney Feb/Mar 1950
-1278 passengers
Bremerhaven –Melbourne Sep/Oct 1950
– 1280 passengers
1950 returned to U.S. Navy in
MSTS (T-AP-142)
1952-1953 Korean War service
1955 laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet,
San Diego Group
1960 transferred to the Maritime
Administration for lay up with the
National Reserve Fleet
1969 sold for commercial service
1979 (circa) scrapped
Off Bremerhaven, early 1950s.
http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/22/22157.htm
General CC Ballou –
AP157 (US Navy Jun
1945
1946 (May) transferred to US Army
(12,666 grt at handover)
1949-1950 made thee voyages from Europe to
Australia for the IRO with displaced persons:
Naples-Sydney Apr 1949
– 876 passengers
Naples-Sydney Feb/Mar 1950
– 1266 passengers
Naples-Newcastle Nov/Dec 1950
– 1300 passengers
1950 returned to the U.S. Navy
in
MSTS (T-AP-157)
1951-1953 Korean War service
1954 placed out of service
1959 transferred to the Maratime
Administration for lay up with the
National Reserve Fleet
1968 converted to a container ship
r/n Brooklyn
1974 sold to Puerto Rico Maritime
Shipping Authority r/n Humacao
1981 sold to Liberian company
r/n Eastern Light with Panamanian
registry
http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/22/22158.htm
General WG Haan –
AP158 (US Navy Aug 1945)
1946 (May) transferred to US Army
(12,511 grt at handover)
1949-1950 made two voyages from
Europe to
Australia for the IRO with
displaced persons:
Naples-Melbourne Oct/Nov 1949
– 1303
passengers
Naples-Melbourne Feb/Mar 1950
– 1301 passengers
1950 returned to U.S. Navy in
MSTS (T-AP-158)
1955 placed in Reduced
Operational
Status at New York
1957 laid up in the Atlantic
Reserve
Fleet, Texas Group
1968 transferred to the Maritime
Administration for lay up in the
National Reserve Fleet
1969 transferred to commercial
sevice
r/n Transoregan
1974 sold to Puerto Rico Maritme
Shipping
Authority r/n
Mayaquez
1982 sold r/n Anco Trader
1985 sold r/n Trader
1986 scrapped
From Roland W Charles' "Troopships of World War II"
General Stuart Heintzelmann –
AP159 (US Navy Sep
1945)
1946 (Jun) transferred to US Army
(12,666 grt at handover)
1947-1950 made four voyages from
Europe to
Australia for the IRO with
displaced persons:
Bremerhaven-Fremantle Oct/Nov
1947
– 843 passengers
Naples-Melbourne Apr 1949
– 822 Passengers
Naples-Sydney Oct/Nov 1949
– 1301 passengers
Bremerhaven-Melbourne Feb/Mar
1950
– 1302 passengers
1950 returned to U.S. Navy in
MSTS (T-AP-159)
1954 placed out of service
1960 transferred to the Maritime
Administration for lay up with
the
National Reserve Fleet
1968 transferred to commercial
service
converted as a container ship r/n
Mobile
1984 scrapped
Sources:
1. Peter
Plowman's "Australian Migrant Ships 1946 - 1977"
(Rosenberg Publishing, Dural, NSW, 2006) - source of
list of ships and voyages;
2. Roland W.
Charles' "Troopships of World War II"
(The Army Transportation Association, Washington, DC,
1947) - source of details of the ships and their
wartime
histories and photographs;
3. Arnold
Kludas "Great Passenger Ships of the World,
Volume 4 1936-1950" (Patrick Stephens, Cambridge,
1977)
source of additional details, histories and
photographs of
the C4 transports)
4. Website
"NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive",
Transport (AP) Photo Index - sourc of ship histories
and
photographs
http://navsource.org/archives/auxidx.htm
5. The Old Ship Picture Galleries
http://www.photoship.co.uk
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